A further 2,300 homes and businesses across North Lincolnshire will be given access to superfast broadband internet after a £2.9 million funding boost was announced.

The Northern Lincs Broadband partnership, made up of North Lincolnshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and BT, has already made fibre broadband available to around 37,000 properties across northern Lincolnshire.

Now, efficiencies in the first phase of the programme and a reinvestment by BT of earlier funding due to high take-up of the fibre broadband technology by local households and businesses has led to the latest £2.9 million boost.

Figures show more than 40 per cent of the homes and businesses with access to the new technology have chosen to upgrade to it across northern Lincolnshire, which is among the highest levels of take-up in the UK.

Locations expected to be included in the extended roll-out include Amcotts, Sandtoft, Owston Ferry, Thornton Curtis, East Butterwick, Greetwell, Coleby and Bonby.

North Lincolnshire Council leader Rob Waltham said; "This further multi-million pound investment across northern Lincolnshire will help even more people benefit from high speed broadband.

"We are continuing to work on supporting those properties that don’t have access to superfast broadband, particularly those in rural areas. They remain a priority for the council.

"The project has already been a massive success and was recognised nationally as best practice and in the top six nationally for completing the first phase the quickest. We are now on track to reach our aim of providing 99 per cent of properties across northern Lincolnshire with access to superfast broadband.

"Being able to access high speed broadband has many benefits for residents and businesses, which we are encouraging them to take full advantage of."

Derek Richardson, Openreach spokesman for Yorkshire and the Humber, added: "As well as connecting up homes and businesses through the Northern Lincs Broadband programme, Openreach has an ambition to 'never say no’'to any community that wants superfast broadband.

"We have launched a Community Fibre Partnerships programme where we work with a local group not covered by an existing fibre upgrade plan to find a way of bringing this exciting technology to their area. This could be the residents of a rural village or a block of flats in a town centre or even a group of business owners in an industrial park.

"We have already signed agreements with more than 300 communities and organisations to bring fibre broadband to some of the UK’s most challenging areas and are keen to have to have conversations with other communities who might benefit from this approach."

Residents and businesses wishing to access the benefits of superfast broadband are advised to contact their internet service provider and enquire about an upgrade, as customers do not automatically get faster internet access once fibre broadband is available in an area.